Cat Lovers In Volusia Face Tough Call On Feral Felines

Officials And Citizens Are Fighting Over How Best To Deal With Overpopulation.

March 20, 1997|By Charlene Hager-Van Dyke of The Sentinel Staff

DELAND — Many of the 40 or so gathered at the Volusia County solid waste transfer station spent more than two hours hissing and snarling at each other.

And there wasn't even one cat in the room.

The county's animal control board workshop Tuesday was supposed to be about finding ways to solve the feral, or wild, cat problem, but all the dirty looks and snide comments that criss-crossed the room made it seem more like a feline version of American Gladiators.

One opinion - represented by animal services/control, humane societies, health department workers and citizens - seemed to be that the county's trapping and destroying of feral cats is the most humane way of dealing with the overpopulation.

''What's more humane: putting them to sleep by a caring individual, or letting them die from the elements?'' Daytona Beach-area resident Michelle Parry asked the board.

The other side - represented by residents,the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, regular feeders of feral cats and an animal services agency that used to regularly use euthanasia to control the population - said the trap-sterilize-return method is a more humane approach.

''We basically got tired of killing cats,'' said Linda Haller, department manager for Orange County Animal Services, which has been operating under the latter method for 16 months.

''We went round and round for years before we decided to use the method (trap-sterilize-return); but now we're proof it works and it's cost-effective. The main thing is we have to put our personal feelings aside and learn how to work together.''

Discussion quickly turned from ''what can we do'' to ''what you do is wrong'' as the trap-and-return supporters accused humane societies of needlessly killing animals, instead of trying to find another solution.

''They have a put-down rate of 63 percent at Halifax (Humane Society),'' said Daytona Beach resident Sandra Maroney, who feeds more than 100 feral cats. ''That's one out of every three animals, and that's inexcusable!''

Other concerns addressed at the meeting included diseases associated with wild cats, and who is legally responsible for damage done by feral cats.

County Attorney Roland Blossom couldn't answer that.

''This is a program that has never been litigated. This is a new area and those are some of the things that have to be addressed,'' he said.